The Top Ten 12.25.07: Matches of 2007

Posted by Julian Williams on 12.25.2007

On this Christmas Day, I present you the gift of the best matches of 2007. Yea, I know you wanted the Wii, but this is all I could afford.

Merry Jesus Day everybody. If you don't believe in Jesus, tough shit because I do so therefore I will be referring to today's holiday as Christmas and not one of the other 2,347 holidays that they've invented for you non-believers. In today's column we're going to look at The Top Ten Matches of 2007. While 2007 wasn't the greatest year in terms of match quality, there were still more than enough that could be considered for the top ten so this was a hard list to narrow down. But I've done it so I hope you guys enjoy and whether you agree or disagree, be sure to drop me an email or post a comment to give me your thoughts. Ok, no frills and crap today, let's get straight into the list.

The Top Ten Matches of 2007

Honorable Mention: Kaz vs. Christian Cage (Genesis)
This is the match that officially turned Kaz into a viable main eventer in TNA and he definitely earned it by putting on this show-stealing ladder match with Christian Cage. These two had one of the best one-on-one ladder matches that I've ever seen by utilizing high-risk maneuvers and back-and-forth action that kept the crowd enthralled the whole time. Christian's frog splash on a prone Kaz who was laying on a ladder set up between the apron and the crowd railing is one of the best spots I've ever seen in a ladder match. Kaz had some awesome moves himself including a springboard crossbody onto Christian (who was holding a ladder) and springboard dropkicking a ladder from underneath Christian, who went flying. The ending saw Christian get distracted by AJ Styles & Tomko (who he had earlier told NOT to come to ringside) which enabled Kaz to tip him of the ladder and over the top rope. Then, in an incredibly athletic spot, he used his left leg to balance himself on the top rope while on the ladder and push him self back up towards the contract for the victory. This was a fantastic match that showcased the phenomenal talents of both men.

Honorable Mention: The 2007 Royal Rumble
After last year's disappointing Royal Rumble, the WWE had to come correct with this year's version and they certainly did. This Rumble was packed with excitement from beginning to end and featured one of the best finishes to the Rumble in recent history. That final eight minute encounter between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels was absolutely fantastic as you had no idea which man was going to win and both men came close to being eliminated numerous times. The Undertaker eventually won it, signifying his first Rumble win and becoming the first man to ever win it from the number 30 spot. This was a Rumble that satisfied and got people excited for Wrestlemania, which is exactly what the Rumble is supposed to do.

Honorable Mention: Triple H vs. Randy Orton (No Mercy)
When John Cena went down with an injury, the main event for No Mercy was left in doubt. Now the WWE could have taken the easy road and just randomly chose somebody to replace Cena in the main event against Randy Orton, but instead they decided to go in a more unconventional way. They had Triple H challenge Orton to kick off the show in a match to determine who would win the vacated WWE Title and Trips came out on top. But it didn't end there because later on in the night, after HHH had wrestled another match against Umaga, he faced Orton again but this time is was a Last Man Standing match. These two beat the hell out of each other all over ringside and it was just a wild brawl through and through. The psychology behind the match was genius as HHH had hurt ribs from his earlier encounter with Umaga and that was the focus of Randy Orton's attack. Everytime Trips started to gain some steam, Orton would cut him off by targeting the ribs. This match featured some hellacious action like HHH giving Orton a wicked spinebuster on the floor, Orton giving HHH an RKO on an unfolded steel chair and finally Orton countering the Pedigree with a sick RKO on the announce table that finally gave him the 10 count for the victory. This was a match that wound up making both men look like a million bucks and is definitely one of the defining moments in Young Randy's career.

Honorable Mention: Samoa Joe vs. Christian Cage (Destination X)
This match seemed to finally signify Joe's ascension into the upper tier of TNA as he was hell bent to dethrone Christian. These two had a terrific match that went all over the Impact Zone and featured Joe giving Christian a STJoe on the floor, a sick powerslam for a close two count, a spear from the apron to the floor by Joe to Captain Charisma, and Joe locking in the clutch on Christian. Damn, Joe really dominated this match now that I think of it. Christian was able to squirm his way out with a victory after landing on top of Joe during the clutch and getting his feet on the rope to pick up the cheap pin. This was a fantastic match and proof that when TNA wants to, they can put on fantastic matches.

Honorable Mention: The Briscoes vs. Matt Sydal & Claudio Castagnoli (ROH Respect Is Earned)
This was a Tag Team Title match from ROH's very first PPV and it gave any new viewers of ROH just a taste of what the company is all about: exciting, hard hitting action. The match started off with some sweet mat wrestling, but it wasn't too long before all hell broke loose and the match took on a frenetic pace. The Briscoes utilized some excellent double team moves to isolate Sydal until Sydal got the hot tag to Double C (Hey!) who cleaned house until Mark Briscoe dropkicked him right in the mush. From there, it seemed like The Briscoes had everything well in hand until a combination European Uppercut and Step-Up Enziguri by the challengers once again swung the momentum. From that point, it was just back-and-forth between these two teams as they both pounded each other with every move in their arsenal. The Briscoes narrowly managed to escape defeat after Sydal hit a gorgeous Shooting Star Press on Jay which Mark was able to break up at 2.99999999. The ending saw Sydal reserve the Jay Driller, but wound up getting caught with a springboard Doomsday Device which gave the Briscoes the W. This match signified that tag team wrestling is alive and very well in the US, you just have to look outside of the WWE and TNA to find it.

10) Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton (Survivor Series)
Even though this match started off with some pretty goofy stipulations, it winded up being one of the best technical matches of the year with a fantastic story behind it. The goofy stips that I talk of was that Michaels couldn't use Sweet Chin Music and if Orton got disqualified, he would lose the WWE Title. As a result of not being able to use Sweet Chin Music, Michaels used everything in his arsenal, including moves from past opponents, to try to dethrone Orton. Michaels threw everything he had at Orton, including using such moves like The Sharpshooter, The Anklelock and The Crossface (Controversy!) to try to get the champion to submit. Orton was resilient, though, and was able to stand the finisher onslaught by HBK. The ending came when Michaels was able to counter Orton and instinctively started to go for Sweet Chin Music, but stopped himself and that moment of hesitation was enough for Orton to hit the RKO and retain his title. This was a terrific technical match with fantastic storytelling and you honestly cant ask for much more than that.

9) James Storm vs. Chris Harris (Sacrifice)
This match was a Texas Death Match and these guys had a lot to prove after the horrific blindfold match they had the previous month. This time, these guys didn't have any stupid restrictions to hold them back and instead let it all hang out and they delivered one of the most unforgettable matches of the year. Both men bled like stuck pigs and we saw some sick moves like a whirly bird powerbomb through a table, a sick superkick through a steel chair, and Harris finally get some vindication by annihilating Storm with a glass bottle. This was a superbly intense match and was finally a great payoff to a long, drawn out feud.

8) The Undertaker vs. Batista (Backlash)
This was some good shit right here. These two had some great chemistry together and they proved the haters wrong on back-to-back PPV's. This was a stiff, brutal match and both men seemed hell bent to making their opponent stay down for the three count. I should have known that this was going to go to a double count out since that's the way that 98% of Last Man Standing matches in the ‘E usually end. I loved the end of the match with Batista spearing ‘Taker off of the stage because it showed he was desperate enough to regain the World Championship that he would but his own life at risk for it. I even loved the cheesy explosions and set destruction. This was a very fun match that wasn't quite as good as their ‘Mania match, but still damn good.

7) The Undertaker vs. Batista (Wrestlemania 23)
The quality of this match surprised the hell out of me. I was expecting a pretty decent match between these two but they far exceeded my expectations. First off, The Undertaker's entrance was great and it was probably his best entrance since WM14. Secondly, Batista looked REALLY motivated and it showed as he delivered his best performance since his HIAC match with HHH a couple years ago. The Undertaker was no slouch either and for the second consecutive year, he busted out the no hands dive over the top rope, which is ALWAYS impressive for a man of his size. This was just a great big man match and you could feel the crowd literally gasp after Batista hit the Batista Bomb as some thought that may be the end to ‘Taker's streak. If Batista had kicked out of The Tombstone, I would have officially marked out like a little bitch, but alas it didn't happen and the streak continues. One of my friends who I watched the show with said this match should have gone on last and I can't disagree because the pop that ‘Taker got after winning was HUGE and would have been a great way to close the show. Really good match that pleasantly surprised me in terms of overall quality.

6) John Cena vs. Umaga (Royal Rumble)
What a brutal war this was. I was expecting a good match based on the above average encounter they had at New Year's Revolution, but this exceeded my expectations as well as the expectations of just about everybody I think. I will never forget Umaga running the tables and doing that crazy dive onto the announce table or Cena choking out Umaga with the ring ropes with this look of desperation and craziness on his face. Umaga turned me into a fan of his after this match as I now greatly respect his abilities in the ring. And if Cena couldn't end all the hate after this classic performance, I don't know what will.

5) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 23)
This match delivered in a big time way no matter what the haters of this match might say. I watched it again recently and I was even more impressed the second time around than I was during the initial viewing. I liked how both men at certain points played either the face-in-peril or the heel-in-control. It really made the match unique. The match was completely awesome and definitely had that big time feel, despite a dead crowd. The only negative part of the match was when HBK focused on Cena's leg for like a good 5 minutes and then Cena just shook it off and was running all around the ring like nothing was wrong with him. That's the only thing that prevented this match from being a 5* classic, but everything else was so damn good, that you can forgive them for that little fuckup. Great match that was definitely worth the price of Wrestlemania alone.

4) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton (Backlash)
This was a phenomenal match and it showed why all four men (yes, even bitch ass Orton) deserve to be in the upper echelon of the WWE. It was well paced, action packed, and filled with tense moments that made you wonder who was going to pick up the win. I knew that Cena was going to win, but I think that the way they did it was absolutely genius. Shawn had Cena beat after the superkick, but Cena was just fortunate enough to land on top of Orton otherwise his title would be lost. It added great tension to the Cena/Michaels feud and even though they blew it by having Cena start feuding with Khali, it was immensely intriguing at the time. This was a fun match and a great way to cap off a great PPV.

3) The Briscoes vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico (ROH Man Up)
This was just an absolutely brutal affair. The Briscoes and Steen-erico had developed a blood feud throughout the course of 2007. After some of the most brutal matches ever seen in ROH, it seemed that the only way to end this feud was in a ladder war. I haven't seen this kind of insanity since the vaunted days of the TLC era because these four men just absolutely BRUTALIZED each other. How much brutal shit is in this match, you ask? Let's see, Generico gets bieled THROUGH a ladder, Mark Briscoe falls off one ladder and through another, Generico kicks a ladder right into Jay Bricoe's face, Steen powerbombs Mark from the ring onto a ladder on the outside of the ring, Mark hits Generico with an Exploder Suplex onto a ladder, Jay gives Steen a Death Valler Driver onto the SIDE of a ladder, Mark gives Generico a Shooting Star Press with a ladder on top of him, Jay legdrops Steen through a table from the top rope to the outside of the ring, The Briscoes hit Generico with a springboard Doomsday Device in between a ladder, Steen gives Mark a Package Piledriver THROUGH a ladder, and Jay gives Generico a Jay Driller through a ladder. And that's only SOME of the crazy shit in the match. The Briscoes were able to retain their tag team title and after this war, they deserve to be called the best tag team in the world.

2) Bryan Danielson vs. Nigel McGuinness (ROH Driven)
When you get two of the best wrestlers in the world and have them fight for the #1 Contendership, you know that you're going to see something great, but I think these two surpassed everyone's lofty expectations by putting on this classic match. The match started with both men feeling each other out with some mat wrestling, but it wasn't too long before they were destroying each other with some STIFF shots. When they weren't bitch slapping each other with some brutal shots, they were torchuring each other with submission moves including McGuinness pulling Danileson's arms all the way behind his back and then lying on top of them. This match also includes perhaps my favorite spot of the year when Danielson tried to throw McGuinness back into the ring, but Nigel bounced off the bottom rope and clotheslined the shit out of Danielson who landed on some poor sap's lap in the front row. Glorious. GLORIOUS, I SAY! That wasn't the end of the awesome, though, as Nigel crossbodied Danielson from the top rope and into the crowd and Danielson suplexed Nigel back first onto the guardrail. The match ended in fantastic fashion as Danielson and Nigel headbutted each other numerous times in the center of the ring until blood was pouring down Danielson's face. From there Danielson hit Nigel with a Tiger Suplex and went for Cattle Mutilation, which Nigel countered, but Danielson countered that back into Cattle Mutilation which finally made McGuinness submit. Stiff, brutal action that has to be seen to be believed. Awesome stuff here.

1) John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels (Raw, 4/23)
Sure, this match may not have been as technically brilliant like the Danielson/McGuinness classic, but I know that when I think back at wrestling in the year 2007, I'm going to immediately think of this match first. This was the followup to their epic Wrestlemania encounter and this match surpassed the classic effort of that matchup. This is the first match in a long time that I can remember going an hour without being previously announced. It was a pleasant surprise to see a nice, long, classic wrestling match on free TV. Some people complained about the slow pace in the early going, but I feel that added to the intrigue of this matchup. It told a terrific story as both men kept on kicking out, refusing to give up until finally, after 55 grueling minutes, Michaels was able to connect with Sweet Chin Music and put down Cena for the three count. This is one of the best free TV matches I've seen in a while, not since the days of the heralded Smackdown Six have I seen such a great, long match for free. Now if the ‘E could just give us matches like this on a regular basis, I would have nothing to complain about. Nah, I'm sure I'd find something.

Drive-By Pimpin'

Check out all these great columns by my 411 brethren:

-Andy Clark's "Shimmy"
-Ari's "Column Of Honor"
-Sean, Alex and David's "Triple Threat"
-Bayani's "Truth B Told"
-Weyer's "Shining The Spotlight"
-Byers' "Cheap Wrestling for Cheap People"
-Larry and Geoff's "4R's"
-Fact Or Fiction
-Sat and Uncle Trunx's "High Road/Low Road"
-Phill Feltham's "Quick Talkdown"
-Sarnecky's "Piledriver Report"
-Slimmer's News Report
-Hidden Highlights
-Carapola's "That Was Then" and "Friendly Competition"
-The Fink's Payload
-Gamble's "Just 'Spose"
-Cook's "Ask 411"
-Wilcox's "Thoughts From The Top Rope"
-Meehan's "Meethinks"
-Sforcina's "Evolution Schematic"
-Prag's "In Defense Of?."
-Wrestlers of the Week
-Randle's "Wrestling News Experience"
-Linkous' "Why I Love Wrestling"
-Double M's Rasslin Report
-News To Start Your Weekend
-Dunn's Rawtopsy, Smackdown Breakdown, & ECW eXperience
-Your News, Larry's Views
-Zac Calhoun's "The Ripple Effect"
-Joe Estee's "Keys To The Game"
-Halden's "You're An Idiot And Here's Why"
-Buy......OR SELL!!

And don't forget about the new guys:

-Chris Lansdell "The Way I C It"
-Alex Barcham's "Hitting Below The Beltway"
-T.G. Corke's "The Seventh Dimension"
-Magnus Donaldson's "Cut To The Crap"
-Tim Haught's "Pro Wrestling Pundit"
-William Bumgarner's "What Were They Thinking?"
-Jarrod Westerfield's "Viral Dose Of Reality"

The Sign-Off

That's it for me this week people. I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and make sure you come back next week when the topic will be The Top Ten RAW Moments. Until then, go wash your ass!